People moves: Tom Barth takes over as head of IR at Blackbaud

Cloud-computing firm Blackbaud has appointed Tom Barth as head of IR, and new IR professionals have also joined PPG, Lamor and General Mills.

In his new role at the Nasdaq-listed company, which provides software that allows customers to manage their social impact, Barth reports to Blackbaud’s vice president and CFO Tony Boor, and is ‘responsible for defining and leading a broad-based program to maximize the company’s shareholder value.’

Barth has a long history in IR and other communications roles, serving with several other publicly listed global software companies including Akamai Technologies, Progress Software and Nuance Communications. He is also a decorated military veteran, having served in a variety of leadership roles in the US Air Force.

‘We’re thrilled to have Tom join our team to oversee IR,’ says Boor. ‘With his global experience and deep knowledge in the public software company space, he will be an asset to the company as we continue to execute our strategic initiatives to drive long-term profitable growth.’

Barth adds that he is looking forward ‘to further developing and running an IR program that supports the needs of the company, its analysts, investors and all stakeholders.’

Elsewhere, paint and coatings specialist PPG is bringing in Alejandro Lopez, currently the firm’s global finance director for automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coatings, as its new director of investor relations.

Effective June 1, Lopez will replace Jonathan Edwards as head of IR, who himself will replace Lopez as global finance director for automotive OEM coatings.

An experienced finance professional, Lopez began his career at the NYSE-listed company in 2006 as FP&A manager for Mexico and advanced through various finance roles. Prior to PPG, he worked at General Electric Appliances as part of the company’s financial management program.

In Finland, environmental technology company Lamor has appointed Tapio Pesola as director of investor relations and communications, effective July 2024.

Pesola will be responsible for IR and internal and external communications at the Nasdaq Helsinki-listed firm, and will report to CEO Johan Grön. He has 20 years of expertise in IR and communications at global listed companies and is transitioning to his new role from Miltton, where he served as a senior adviser for IR.

Chief strategy officer Johanna Grönroos, who was previously responsible for investor relations, will now focus on leading the firm’s long-term strategic activities, says Grön.

‘Lamor is at a very interesting stage, having transformed in recent years from a family-owned company focused on oil-spill response into a key player addressing major global challenges, such as soil remediation and plastics recycling, and becoming a main-list company,’ says Pesola.

‘Lamor has ambitious goals, and it is great to join its experienced team at this particular stage to help it thrive by supporting open communication.’

Finally, Cornell Burnette is joining the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based food company General Mills as its new director of investor relations.

Formerly director of IR at Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize, Burnette was also previously a vice president and equity analyst at Citi Research, where he covered the food-manufacturing and grain-processing sectors.